BILLINGS- A young Billings newlywed is fighting to recover after serious complications following open-heart surgery, according to her family.
What was expected to be a planned procedure turned into a fight for her life, leaving her loved ones searching for answers about what happened.
Natasha Barbotiko 22, married Domanic Slayton this summer, just before undergoing the heart surgery.
Her mother-in-law, Michelle Kraft, says the couple had spent about a year planning their wedding.
"We had a beautiful wedding. We spent about a year planning it, and it was amazing," Michelle recalled.
Michelle describes Natasha as bubbly, sweet and funny, saying those who meet her quickly see her personality.
Natasha was born with a heart defect that doctors had monitored since childhood.
According to her family, a checkup in March revealed she would need open-heart surgery.
"To see her in this place is not something we ever imagined," Michelle said.
Following the couple's August wedding, Natasha underwent a planned valve repair. Her family says they were told to expect the operation to last approximately six hours. Instead, they say, the surgery lasted roughly 10 hours.
Michelle says Natasha experienced serious complications during the operation, including difficulties restarting her heart after it had been stopped for several hours.
The family also describes bleeding, blood clots, and heart and lung failure. Natasha was eventually flown to Salt Lake City for additional care.
"Never in a million years did we see all these other things happening," Michelle said.
The family says they have many questions about what happened during the operation and the decisions made as complications developed.
"We were told what the best outcome would be for her with this, but we maybe weren't told how many times this procedure has been done, right? Like has it been done a million times? Has it been done 50 times," said Michelle. "That makes a big difference on how much we know of an outcome for her. And so that for us is a big question we have."
Michelle says the family is not looking to place blame but wants a better understanding of the events surrounding Natasha's surgery.
"At this moment, we're definitely not blaming anybody. But we're finding some frustration in the fact that we feel like maybe too much risk was taken with her life," she said.
MTN News reached out to Intermountain Health about the family's concerns and the care Natasha received.
The hospital declined our request for an interview, citing its inability to comment on individual patient situations.
As Natasha continues her recovery, her family says their focus is on supporting her through what could be a long road ahead.
"We love Natasha, and we're really thankful for everybody that has already come around us and supported us financially and with prayers," Michelle said.
HOW TO HELP
Friends, family and community members can help support Natasha and Dominic during this difficult time.
A GoFundMe has been established to help the couple with expenses during Natasha's recovery.
Donations can also be made in Natasha Barbotiko's name at any Stockman Bank location.
